The Crane Vending Machine
by OneSolution
Summary: Everyday he would go there. Just to win something from that vending machine. Everyday he tried and failed. AU. Oneshot. NaLu


A young boy jumped out of bed. His salmon pink hair was messy, but he didn't care. Today was Saturday after all. Every week of every month, he would go to the supermarket on Saturday so he could play the claw crane vending machine that they had there. The mountain of prizes ranged from jewelry, to electronics, to stuffed animals. The prize didn't matter to Natsu however. The ultimate prize was winning something from that blasted vending machine.

Natsu, age five, ran downstairs to the kitchen. There, his father was sitting at the table eating breakfast and getting ready for the work day.

"Oh, Natsu, you're up early." His father, Igneel, said. "Is it Saturday already?"

Natsu was grinning from ear to ear, as his father dropped into his hand, two quarters. Once it had become a ritual for Natsu to go to market every Saturday, his father would give him exactly two quarters to insert into the machine. Though Natsu would always come home empty handed, the fact that he was still always determined to beat the machine amazed his dad.

"Thanks dad!" Natsu said, as he headed for the door. "I'll definitely win this time!"

"Good luck!"

* * *

Natsu ran to his destination, pausing at each traffic stop. He headed in the same direction towards the same supermarket that had the vending machine. He reached the market entrance, and the automatic doors slid open for him with cool air from the air conditioner rushing out.

The market had aisles and aisles of food and drinks. Fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, and spices, the market had everything. There was even an aisle with toys. Natsu directed his eyes to the side, there, in the corner, was the claw crane machine. As Natsu approached it, he could see the same prizes still lying in the same place inside the glass vending machine.

No one had won as he had suspected. Natsu pulled out both of his quarters and inserted one into the machine, palming his other quarter. The machine lit up in a flash of lights and sounds, as the crane was active once again.

Grabbing the joystick, Nastu scanned through the mountain of prizes laying inside. The easiest one to get, from what he could see, was a teddy bear which was, unlike the other prizes, sitting upright and ready to be picked up by the crane.

Slowly and carefully, Natsu moved the crane with the joystick towards the teddy bear. His other hand was near the big red button that would cause the claw to descend and clamp around the prize. Once the claw had settled above the teddy bear, he moved it just a few centimeters to get it perfectly above the teddy bear. He pressed the button and the claw started to lower and open.

"C'mon, c'mon."

The claw closed around the bears head, and lifted it up.

Natsu's heart was pounding, and sweat had started to show on his forehead.

The bear was trapped in the claws! He was about to win!

Suddenly, the claw jiggled as it reached the highest it can go, and the bear easily slipped and fell out.

"No!" Natsu cried. "So close!"

He inserted another quarter and eagerly grabbed the joystick again. The bear was no longer accessible as it was now turned on its side. Spotting a jewelry box that was the perfect size to fit inside the claw. He maneuvered the crane above it and pressed the button again.

Natsu gulped as the crane closed around the box. However, the second the crane pulled the box up, it slipped out of its grasp and fell into the heap of prizes below.

"No!"

Natsu's head slumped forward. "Not again..."

"Wow, you were really close." A voice said from behind him.

Natsu turned and saw a tall blond haired woman smiling at him. She reached into her purse and pulled out something. As she handed it to him, Natsu could see it was a quarter.

"Here you go. Give it another try." She smiled.

Gratefully, Natsu took the quarter.

"Thank you ma'am!" Natsu grinned.

"Don't worry about it." She said, walking off. "Now where did my daughter run off to..."

Natsu stared at the quarter in his hand. He'd just receive a quarter from a stranger, another chance to beat the crane. This was it! It was a sign. This time he was going to win! Again, he looked over the prizes. Most of them were out of place, or crooked. Which one is ready to be taken home as a trophy?

"It looks cute."

Natsu turned to the side, there was a blonde girl about his age pressing her face against the glass.

"What does?"

"That white doggy." She said, pointing at a little white snowman.

The snowman was sitting upright against the glass. From what Natsu could see, he had an orange nose.

"If you want it, I'll get it for you." Natsu grinned.

"Really?!"

Her eyes sparkled. "You promise?"

"Yep, I'll definitely get it."

Natsu was full of confidence. There was no way he was gonna lose to a machine, not this time. He inserted his last quarter and gripped the joy stick again. His hands were a bit sweaty, but he paid it no mind. The blond haired girl watched in awe as the crane started to move to where the little snowman plush doll was.

Steadily, he moved the claw above the snowman, taking extra precaution to make sure it was directly above it. That was it! It's perfectly aligned with the snowman! Natsu pushed the button and the claw went down once again. The closed around the snowman's head.

"You did it!" The blond haired girl cheered.

Natsu was about to cheer as well, but the snowman fell out of the claw's grasp to the mountain of prizes below. Once again , the machine had won.

"Stupid machine!" Natsu said, as he kicked it, injuring his foot.

"Sorry I couldn't get it for you..." Natsu frowned.

"It's okay!" The girl smiled. "You'll get it eventually, right?"

Natsu grinned. "Yeah, definitely!"

"There you are."

The same blonde haired woman who had given Natsu the quarter approached the little blonde haired girl.

"Let's go Lucy. We have groceries to buy." The woman said, grabbing Lucy's hand.

Natsu watched their retreating forms, before he started to leave. He'll win eventually, he'll just have to wait until next week when his dad gives him some more quarters.

* * *

A pink haired man stood in front of the claw vending machine. In his pockets were a handful of quarters. Approximately five dollars worth of quarters. Eagerly, Natsu inserted his quarter and started playing the vending machine once again.

Twenty years had passed since that fateful day in which he met Lucy. Twenty years and no wins. The snowman doll still remained inside the machine.

A few minutes had passed before Natsu started to get frustrated.

"Gah! Why can't I win this?!"

Another quarter went in and the claw moved again, controlled by the joystick. It settled on the snowman, went down and grabbed it, and the snowman fell out of its grip.

"Dammit!"

"Natsu?"

Natsu turned to be greeted by his wife, Lucy, and daughter, Nashi. Lucy was carrying grocery bags, along with Nashi.

"Natsu we've finished picking up the groceries." Lucy said. "Let's go now."

"Yeah, dad! We're gonna have chicken for dinner." Nashi said, excitedly.

His daughter's pink hair was of a lighter hue than his own. She had her mother's eyes however.

"Wait, just a minute." Natsu said, looking at the claw machine. "I'm about to win this."

"That thing again?" Lucy sighed. "I told you I don't want the doll any more. You don't have to get it for me."

"But I made a promise!" Natsu protested. "Just one more try!"

"Fine, one more." Lucy set her bags down and crossed her arms.

Nashi's face was pressed against the glass as her father inserted another quarter. Her eyes sparkled as the claw began to move again.

Natsu moved the crane over the snowman doll and, as always, the crane failed to capture the doll.

"Dammit!" Natsu said.

"Natsu!"

"I mean dang it!"

"Right, can we go now? C'mon sweetie let's go." Lucy said, picking up her grocery bags again.

But Nashi was still looking over the prizes in awe.

Natsu dug around in his pockets and pulled out two quarters. He knelt down beside Nashi. Natsu placed the coins in his daughter's hands.

"Here you go, sweetie." Natsu smiled. "Give it a go."

"Okay!" Nashi said, happily inserting the coins.

Lucy rubbed her forehead.

"Why did you do that, Natsu? Now she's gonna get addicted to it."

Natsu frowned. "I wasn't addicted!"

"Well, you been playing that for twenty years." Lucy replied.

"And I never won a prize." Natsu said, bitterly. "Stupid game."

"If it weren't for that stupid game, we would've never met." Lucy said.

"I am never playing it again." Natsu groaned.

Lucy laughed.

"Serves you right for not stopping after the first hundred tries."

"I've never seen you play!" Natsu snapped. "It's really hard!"

"Mom, dad, look!"

Lucy and Natsu turned their attention towards their daughter.

In her hand, she held the little snowman doll.

"I won!"

* * *

**A/N  
****Hope you enjoyed.**


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